"Groundbreaking
immersive theater."
- Backstage
"No ordinary
theater experience."
- The Wall Street Journal
"An ornately
turned-out, unique, and well-produced experience.”
- Flavorpill
"Thrilling
and delighting all of the senses."
- The Huffington Post
“An ingenious project jam-packed
with creativity."
- Show
Business Weekly
STAGEWORKS MEDIA
PRESENTS
CYNTHIA VON BUHLER’S
SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE
NEW YORK CITY’S INDIE IMMERSIVE THEATRE HIT
CELEBRATES ITS THIRD ANNIVERSARY
TICKETS NOW ON SALE THROUGH DECEMBER 13TH
Based on a true NYC murder case,
SPEAKEASY
DOLLHOUSE
immerses audience in a surreal,
Prohibition-era time capsule
featuring live jazz, burlesque,
mobsters, moonshine and more.
Transporting
audiences to an era of mobsters, moonshine, and murder, Cynthia
von Buhler’s SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE, one of the city's
most unique, interactive, and surreal theatre experiences, proudly celebrates
its two-year anniversary this month.
Performing to sold-out audiences since October 2011, SPEAKEASY
DOLLHOUSE brings an actual unsolved Prohibition-era murder to life in the
downtown building that once served as mobster Meyer
Lansky’s hangout. SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE is performed weekly (Saturdays at 5:00PM)
at “Spano’s Club” at “Spano’s Club” (a.k.a. The Back Room) located at
102 Norfolk St. (near Delancey St.). Tickets (advance
only and starting at $55.00) are available by calling 1-800-838-3006 or online
at brownpapertickets.com.
SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE was created by artist and
author Cynthia von Buhler, whose Italian
immigrant grandfather, a speakeasy owner named Frank Spano, was shot and killed
on a Manhattan street in 1935.
Though the shooter was caught, his case was inexplicably
dismissed, leaving the question of motive forever unanswered. Long haunted by
the mystery, von Buhler, whose mother was born the
day her grandfather died, began interviewing family members about the killing
and scouring autopsy reports, police records, and court documents. Inspired by
a 1940s investigative technique called "nutshell studies," von Buhler
first recreated the crime scene in an elaborate dollhouse diorama (which can be
explored on location during each performance).
Von Buhler brought her miniature set to
life in SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE, which was
first intended to be a one-night theatrical staging (via a successful
Kickstarter campaign). It has since become a hot underground theater ticket and
has extended its run repeatedly over the past three years.
The SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE experience begins with a
series of emails featuring actual 1935 news articles, court documents, and
autopsy reports. Audience members also receive special instructions to show up
dressed for a 1930’s night on the town at a secret address, including the
password they will need to enter. Upon arrival, an audience member has their
palm read by a fortune teller, and is assigned a role ranging from shooting a
mobster to aiding in an autopsy. Once they step through the tiny door, they
are transported into a perfect replica of a speakeasy, where they can eat
cannoli, sip hooch disguised in coffee cups, play cards with gangsters, enjoy
burlesque performances – and witness a shooting, funeral, murder investigation,
and trial.
Each show explores a different motive
behind the murder, from jealousy over a suspected affair to a Mafia hit. As
audience members meander through a speakeasy bar, a private alleyway, a bakery,
and more, they are privy to conversations and whispered snippets from cast
members about the victim's marital infidelities, mob connections, and other
clues. The piece is constantly evolving based on new scenarios sparked by
spontaneous interactions between cast members and guests, who are encouraged to
become full-fledged participants in the unfolding drama.
“SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE is more than just a play
– it is a time capsule that transports audiences to the scene of a riveting
crime and then invites them to live fully in that world, erasing the boundary
between themselves and the performers," said von Buhler.
The cast of SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE includes Pasha
Pellosie in the starring role as Frank Spano, Nino Giaimo (Uncle Nino from
MTV’s “Jersey Shore” and “The Show with Vinny”) as undertaker Dominick
Grimaldi, burlesque star Kat Mon Dieu as Lena Doino, jazz musician Howard
Fishman as bandleader Henry Azelrod, and soprano Katie Kat as Millie Nelba.
SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE has
attracted a roster of guest performers that has included bestselling author
Neil Gaiman, actress Alison Wright, actor/singer Euan Morton, musician Amanda
Palmer, downtown theatre icon Edgar Oliver, and others. New guest performers
will be announced shortly.
SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE is presented
by Stageworks Media. It is performed on Saturdays at 5 PM (5 – 7:30 PM) at
“Spano’s Club” (a.k.a. The Back Room) located at 102 Norfolk St. (near Delancey
St.).
Tickets to SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE
are now available for performances through
December 13th. Tickets are available in advance only (prices
start at $55; Packages and VIP tables are available. Tickets
can be purchased by phone at 1-800-838-3006 or online at brownpapertickets.com.
